The right-hander has been stretched out. He threw 94 pitches in his most recent appearance Monday. He’s topped out at 100 pitches. So he could piggyback off right-hander Chad Green, who will make the spot start in place of Masahiro Tanaka, who will be pushed back to Monday. Expect to see Green for approximately 50 pitches — or however long he lasts — before the Yankees considering bringing up German.

It also helps that German is already on the Yankees’ 40-man roster. That means they won’t have to remove a player from the roster to put him on it.

The Yankees have liked German for quite some time. They had him on their 40-man roster in the 2015 season, designated him for assignment in the offseason while he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and then won a bidding war to re-sign him before re-adding him to the roster.

A former Futures Game representative and potential fourth starter, German missed 2015 due to Tommy John and his 2016 innings were limited by an ulnar-nerve issue that arose in the spring. He was touching 95 late last year, albeit in short outings that never exceeded 80 pitches and in starts that were sometimes separated by 10-plus days.

He’s been up to 95 this spring again with a fringe, upper-80s changeup and an above-average breaking ball. Given his injury history, German projects in a relief role where he could sit 93-plus with a three-pitch mix.”

Minor-league highlight

In 2014, German struck out Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo in the All-Star Futures Game as a member of the Marlins.

(Kim Klement | USA Today Sports)

From Triple-A manager Al Pedrique:

“I’m impressed. The last two outings, he’s throwing the ball a lot better. Better command with his fastball, breaking ball. I think he was a little nervous. But he’s shown better life on his fastball (while) locating it well down in the zone, using both sides of the plate. Very aggressive. He will challenge the hitter.”

After Pedrique was told German was finally healthy …

“Yeah, that’s what I heard. He had been having some issues with his health but, so far, knock on wood, he’s feeling good.”

(Kim Klement | USA Today Sports)

How he got here

The Yankees acquired German before the 2015 season in a five-player deal that also sent Garrett Jones and Nathan Eovaldi to New York. The Yankees gave the Marlins Martin Prado and David Phelps.